1. Technical Field
This invention relates to a portable sports goal. More particularly, this invention relates to a portable soccer goal which may easily be assembled and disassembled, yet still provides a relative sturdy goal structure.
2. Discussion
Soccer has long enjoyed substantial popularity throughout the world and, with the possible exception of the United States, is one of the most popular team sport worldwide today. In the United States, while soccer has traditionally attracted less attention than other team sports such as baseball, football, and basketball, soccer appears to be steadily increasing in popularity amongst the grade schools and high schools throughout the United States. Many children age ten and under participate in a number of soccer leagues, reflecting an increasing popularity amongst the younger age groups. One reason for soccer's popularity may stem from the relatively inexpensive start-up costs to participate on a team. With respect to equipment, soccer merely requires a sufficiently sized field with the appropriately chalked out-of-bounds designations, a ball, and a pair of goals. Soccer thus does not require typically costly indoor facilities or an extraordinary amount of equipment in order to participate.
Previously, soccer fields dimensions were normally fixed with a pair of goals constructed from heavy steel pipes which formed vertical and horizontal sections joined accordingly by elbows fixed at the ends of the fields. These heavy, relatively immovable structures were fixed on the field so that lines need only be chalked and nets affixed to the goal structures in order to conform the field to regulations. The framed structures, while being immovable and sturdy so that they did not collapse when players collided with them, were not sufficiently portable so that they could be transported to other fields. Thus, only a limited number of soccer fields could be erected due to space requirements, as other fields (e.g., football fields) were not easily adapted for soccer play. This resulted in a need for portable soccer goals which could be assembled and disassembled, through some effort, so that games could be held at a variety of fields and so that American football fields could be adapted to the game of soccer. Unfortunately, these portable goals required considerable time and effort to assemble, disassemble, and may be particularly cumbersome to transport as they may be heavy. Further, many such goals required a number of small, easily misplaced fasteners which may be easily lost further inhibiting assembly.
Further, the portable soccer goals available today generally have upper horizontal cross members which typically droop when assembled to a full-sized soccer goal. Because of the width of the soccer goal, it is difficult to support the horizontal cross member and to provide a substantially horizontal cross member which does not droop due to the combined weight of the cross bar itself and the net which it supports. Furthermore, when a typical portable soccer goal is disassembled, the overall length of the disassembled soccer goal exceeds the maximum width of a typical vehicle trunk, requiring transportation on the vehicle roof and making it difficult to conveniently transport the portable soccer goal.
More generally, in addition to the above-discussed aspects of portable soccer goals, other commonly available goal structures (e.g., hockey, lacrosse, and the like) are often difficult and time consuming to assemble as well. Typically, the goal structures include members which are glued or, for more portable goals, remain erect through press fitted engagement. Goals assembled using press fitted engagement often are difficult to disassemble because mated parts resist separation due to frictional forces between them. Hence, disassembly often requires jarring with heavy tools, such as a hammer, resulting in damage to the goal. Where elongate members meet at joints or elbows, the above-mentioned deficiencies manifest themselves in particular.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide a soccer goal which may be easily assembled and disassembled into a suitably portable size and which has a horizontal cross bar that maintains a substantially horizontal alignment.